Most Competitive BVI Sunrise Half Marathon Ends With Record Run

Grenada's Renon Radix, center, USVI's Shane DeGannes,
left and Antigua and Barbuda's Kalique St. Jean, battling at the 10-miles mark,
making it the most competitive race in its 11-year history. PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

It wasn't the fastest, but definitely the most competitive
race in the the 11-year history of the Delioite-Ogier BVI Sunrise Half
Marathon, that ended with St. Thomas' Ruth Ann David improving her own course
record on Saturday.

The men's pace was set by Grenada's Renon Radix, Antigua and
Barbuda's Kalique St. Jean and the USVI's Shane DeGannes, a 3-peat champion who
was second last year, battling over the first 10½ miles, before DeGannes was
dropped. Radix and St. Jean dueled for anther mile before Radix went clear for
the victory.

"I thought the head pack set a decent pace early in the race
so it was good going and to the end, I had to work a bit, but it was
wonderful," Radix said. "I didn't know the route so I had to bait someone who
did and the Antiguan and and I basically stayed with Shane for a while. I knew
once you go out and turn, then I would have memorized and mapped the route,
because coming back was about six miles. I knew the course then, so it was a
bit of waiting, then start injecting a bit of pace and see what they had. It
was a cat and mouse game for the last five miles."

After dropping DeGannes, Radix said he knew St. Jean is a
5000m runner and the last three miles would be a battle. "I don't know what
happened but in the last mile, he just backed off and I took the opportunity to
go ahead hard to the finish," he said after running 1 hour 20 minutes and 57
seconds. "It's the first time I've won a race out of my country so I could care
less about time. I'm just happy that I won."

St. Jean said on the return, the wind was beating in his
face and was trying to stay with the pack, execute a good race and finish strong.
"My hamstring started to hurt a bit and I slowed because the pace was hot,
hot," he said after running 1:21.24. "But, I'm happy with my time. It's a
personal best."

DeGannes said it was a fast race and was glad Radix and St.
Jean came. "We ran about a six minute pace going out, those guys made me do all
the work, then dropped like a 5:45 around mile 7, 8, and it started rocking,"
he said noting he didn't have Gatorade. "It stared getting faster at mile 10,
that when those guys started taking off and I just dropped off. Tried my best,
but, I couldn't hand on."

Julius Farley passed the BVI's top runner Reuben Stoby and
placed fourth. "I didn't want the girls beating me today-that was my
motivation," he said. "I saw the times they ran which was pretty impressive so
I went out and tried my best. I'm surprised and thankful, because Reuben has
been beating me all year. After I seized the advantage, I just kept pushing
on."

Stoby who was with
the pack for the first two miles, faded to fifth and held off David by .01 at
the line. "I'm disappointed and I wasn't able to keep up after the first two
miles-maybe the many races this year took its tool because I ran three minutes
off what I ran last year," he said. "I was at least expecting a personal best
if not a victory. So I'm disappointed."

In the women's race, St. Thomas' David and Grenada's Kinesha
Pascal engaged in a duel before the defending champ pulled away to finish sixth
overall.

"I wasn't sure I was going to get here because I had no
money," said an emotional David who crossed the line in 1 hour 30 minutes and
21 seconds to break her course record of 1:30.46 and collected $750 including
$250 for taking the record, after an early battle with Grenada's Kinesha
Pascal. "I want people to understand how true and how God will be there for you
if you just trust in him. Don't trust in people to be there for you, trust in
him to see a way and he'll always make a way."

David praised Pascal for helping her performance. "If she
wasn't here, I think it would have been harder for me to keep my pace in the
beginning-she helped me to set a good pace," David noted. "We are running
together for about five or six miles and Reuben Stoby too, he also helped."

Pascal was happy with her 1:32.37 personal best effort.
"It's a great improvement from the 1:37.25 I did at home two weeks ago," she
said, which also improved her 1:34.40 best. "It was the second time I'm running
with Ruth and the first over Half Marathon. I guess she had a better advantage
because she knows the route and it's my first time, but, I'm happy with my
performance."